BREST, France  Alejandro Valverde hopes for a top-three finish at the Tour de France. Sometimes he thinks bigger.

"Why not first?" he asks.

The 28-year-old Spaniard finished sixth last year, and he will be one of the favorites when the three-week race begins Saturday. Valverde won the Spanish championship and last month's Dauphine Libere stage race.

Cycling's premier event opens with a 123-mile ride through the green flatland of Brittany. For the first time since 1967, the Tour will begin without an opening-day prologue.

Valverde will be tested during the three weeks by the likes of Australia's Cadel Evans, Russia's Denis Menchov, Spain's Carlos Sastre and Italy's Damiano Cunego. He expects matters to be settled during three days in the Alps in the last week.

"I am here really to fight for the podium. But from the moment that you're involved in fighting for one of the top three spots, it's clear: Why not first?" Valverde said. "If in the end I'm second or third, I'll be satisfied, too."

The Tour is coming off two doping-scarred races. Floyd Landis was stripped of his 2006 title after testing positive for synthetic testosterone in the 17th stage.

Last year's winner, Alberto Contador, and third-place finisher Levi Leipheimer have been forced to sit out because organizers didn't invite their team, Astana. The Kazakh team was thrown out of last year's race after Alexander Vinokourov tested positive for a blood transfusion.

Valverde acknowledged that doping has cost the sport.

"It's true that maybe some of the public, some spectators have doubts. But that has always existed, and it always will," he said. "What's important is that we continue to train well and fight to win races, and please our public and satisfy our team."

"The Tour, no matter who the riders are who take the start, remains the Tour," Valverde added. "It's true that there are some riders who would like to be here who are not. I can't do anything about that."